Monday, May 7, 2012

Integration: Coming Down from a Trip

Regular readers know that I often have a problem keeping my mood up during a comedown off of hallucinogens. This period of digestion and returning to sobriety is called "integration" and landing can be a little rough for a lot of people. Depression and hopelessness have a tendency to set in, leaving me feeling sad after an otherwise awesome trip. Obviously, this is related to acid's tendency to screw with your serotonin, but I would still rather avoid the unpleasantness so the fun of my trip can continue into my daily life. Here's how I go about it: 
  • My favorite method of integration is reading poetry. I find that Ginsberg's style and subject matter complement a comedown especially nicely, but I like Rumi and Whitman as well. If you're not into poetry, you can of course opt for some other form of light reading. I love to read on a comedown because it really brings the words alive and gets you involved in the story.
  • If you tripped with others, stay with them and keep having fun until you're fully sober. They will keep you occupied and help you digest your shared experiences.
  • Do something you love with the energy and creativity leftover from your trip.
  • Smoke a bowl to ease yourself into sobriety.
  • Go swimming. There is none of the safety issues of swimming while tripping (I don't trust myself to do it, but then again I'm not a strong swimmer) but all of the sensual delights.
  • Have sex. I find my libido to be nonexistent when I'm on LSD, but afterwards it's all I want to do.
  • Sit quietly and connect with the trip you just had. Connect with anything interesting or enlightening that grabs your attention.
  • Write. Though I write a variety of things, I find that trip reports can be a really interesting way to integrate your acid-mind into your sober thoughts.
  • Once you're sober, go to sleep and wake up refreshed.
For more information on integration, NeuroSoup has done a really good series about it. Links are below.


Do you have trouble integrating your hallucinogenic experiences into your daily life? How do you go about returning to reality?

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